The Hijjr Valley (Al-Hijjr)
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
۞ Alif-Lam-Ra. These are the verses of the Book, and a Qur'an luminous. 1 Often will those who disbelieve wish that they had been Muslims. 2 (Muhammad), leave them alone to eat and enjoy themselves and let their desires deceive them; they will soon know (the Truth). 3 Never a city have We destroyed, but it had a known decree, 4 No people can hasten on their doom nor can they postpone (it). 5 They say: 'You to whom the Remembrance is sent down, you are indeed mad. 6 If you are a man of truth, why can't you bring the angels to us?" 7 But We send down the angels only to bring justice and then they will not be reprieved. 8 Indeed We have sent down the Qur’an, and indeed We Ourselves surely are its Guardians. (This is one of the miracles of the Qur’an – no one has been able to change even one letter of its text, despite every effort. It has remained in its original form since the 6th Century (A. D) and will remain so forever. Other Holy Books such as the Torah and the Bible have lost their originality.) 9 (O Muhammad), certainly We did send Messengers before you among the nations which have gone by. 10 And never does a Noble Messenger come to them, but they mock at him. 11 Even so do we let it creep into the hearts of the sinners - 12 They will not believe in it, though they have before them the example of former peoples, 13 And even if We opened unto them a gate of heaven and they kept mounting through it, 14 They would say: Our sight is wrong - nay, but we are folk bewitched. 15